The fallout from Vladimir Putin's announcement this weekend that he will return to the presidency in 2012 with Dmitry Medvedev becoming his prime minister has already begun. Finance Minister Aleksei Kudrin announced his resignation today, a day after he told reporters he would not serve in a government led by Medvedev and just hours after a testy public exchange with the president.

In the latest edition of The Power Vertical podcast, I discussed the Kudrin scandal and what we can expect from Putin 2.0 with Kirill Kobrin, managing editor of RFE/RL's Russian Service.

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The Power Vertical is a blog written especially for Russia wonks and obsessive Kremlin watchers by Brian Whitmore. It offers Brian's personal take on emerging and developing trends in Russian politics, shining a spotlight on the high-stakes power struggles, machinations, and clashing interests that shape Kremlin policy today. Check out The Power VerticalFacebookpage or Follow @PowerVertical